A matter of Concubines and Edicts
by avigor
Summary: Harry discovers a disturbing truth about Life Debts. Rabid plot bunny, one-shot unless reviews push me to write more. See the author's note for why this exists. HP/GW/HG


A/N:

This fic is more of a bunny. Early when I first read fics years and years ago I stumbled across some with concubines and I had the idea that there should be a way to set a command that future commands have difficulty overriding, but it was absent and bugged me so here ya go.

A brief setup I'm too lazy to properly "show not tell": 6th year, Voldie sics Inferi on Hogwarts during the Halloween Feast. Ginny left 15 mins before the attack for the loo, Draco was in the Room of Requirement when it all started, the professors created a chokepoint at the door to the Great Hall and with the DA burned them, then Harry discovered the Marauders Map can show Inferi as little skulls and several that had gone deeper into the castle were converging on Ginny and ran off before anyone, even the others of the Trio, could collect their wits and follow. Warning, Ron bash ahoy!

* * *

"AAAAHHHHHHHH!"

It was Ginny screaming, a few more corridors to go. Harry heard an odd roaring as he slipped and fell, horrified at his clumsiness. As he picked himself up, he heard...

"HAAAARRRRRRRYYYY!"

Looking up, he saw Ginny, having just sprinted around the corner up ahead, tearing down the hall straight towards him. He pulled his wand and pointed towards the hall behind her.

"This way!" Ginny gasped, pulling Harry with her around a corner and into an unused classroom, which she locked with a colloportus behind them, looking breathless and panicked to the verge of collapse.

"Ginny, thank Merlin you're okay!" Harry said, "where are the Inferi?"

"Malfoy!" Ginny squeaked out before grabbing Harry and trying to calm herself. Harry blinked, surprised, and awkwardly patted her back, not really noticing that she had maneuvered him between the door and herself.

"Um, there, there. You're fine. If Malfoy actually helped you, maybe I really have been paranoid..."

"No! He didn't do it to be nice!" She gasped, stepping back.

Confused, Harry whispered, "what's wrong?" He somehow just knew he wouldn't like what she said next. On the verge of tears, Ginny started to speak, proving Harry's suspicions right.

"There's something you don't know about life debts. Those who are owed can make the debtors into their slaves."

"What?" Harry felt like his brain was trying to short-circuit.

"We don't have time, Malfoy means to use the debt he just made by saving me from those Inferi to make me his concubine!"

Harry was dumbstruck. Was this real, or was Ginny finally proving her relation to the twins?

"You need to claim me before he shakes off my hex and finds us. You need to call in the debt I owe you from the Chamber! Only by beating Malfoy to the punch can you save me from becoming the whore of the Slytherin common room!"

Harry just stared as Ginny burst into tears. This couldn't be real!

"Please don't make me beg you to make me your slave," Ginny sobbed, "please trust me to know what I'm talking about. There's no other way."

Harry grasped desperately for something to say, finally realizing that he did trust Ginny not to lie to or prank him about something this important.

"Dean will never forgive me," Harry finally managed to choke out, "and I'm not sure I want to know what the Twins will do when they find out."

Ginny grinned through her tears and hugged Harry again.

"What do I need to do?" Harry asked.

"Put your wand against my throat, state your full name, say you claim me and use my full name before claiming me as your concubine, and name the debt you are calling in. Full formal ritual speak."

Harry nodded, remembering the unit from magical theory class, and pressed his wand to her throat. He took a deep breath to steady himself before starting.

"I, Harry James Potter, hereby claim thee, Ginevra Molly Weasley, as my concubine pursuant to the debt you owe me due to the events of the Chamber of Secrets involving the diary of Tom Riddle, aka Voldemort. So mote it be."

A flash of light hid exactly where the collar around Ginny's throat or the ring on Harry's finger came from; both bore a small coat of arms with a pair of antlers.

"What's this?" Harry wondered aloud.

"Potter crest. I'm your property now," Ginny explained, "oh, and I hope you don't have a history of breaking your toys..." Ginny teased with a grin.

Harry was saved from the aneurysm that trying to respond would have produced when the door was unlocked and burst open.

"Oi! Potter! Step away from Miss Weasley! She's mine now!" Draco Malfoy said with a sneer.

"Sorry, but there is no Miss Weasley, not anymore," Ginny said as she stepped around Harry and into view, "I'm bine Potter now, thank you very much."

Malfoy glared, furious, as Ginny quickly whispered into Harry's ear, "he can demand compensation for saving me, traditionally no more than 500 galleons."

Feeling like he was walking through a dream, and shocked that he was using this lingo, Harry addressed Malfoy, "per tradition, for your service to House Potter, I am prepared to offer you 500 galleons as compensation for the risk you took to save the life of my concubine," Harry said.

Draco and Ginny both stared at him for a moment before Malfoy complained, "but she wasn't a concubine then!"

Feeling his inner Slytherin stir, Harry responded, "well that was only a technicality, as I did acquire her debt what, three and a half years ago or so? As for making the maximum for saving a concubine's life my starting offer, between the stink I would expect a Malfoy to raise and her young age, general attractiveness, and virginity I figured it makes sense to just give you that so we can all get on with our lives."

Ginny blushed as only a Weasley can and Malfoy just glared for a long moment before growling out, "fine, you have a fortnight to transfer the funds to my vault," twirling, and storming out.

"Are you sure you're not a Slytherin?" Ginny asked in a bemused tone.

"Um, the Hat did want to put me in there but because I had already met Malfoy I asked it to put me anywhere but so I ended up a Gryffindor."

Ginny just stared for a moment, shocked.

"Well I guess I should find Ron and try to break this to him lightly..."

This seemed to light a bulb in Ginny's head.

"No, not Ron, not yet! Use your Patronus! Tell Ron you dealt with the Inferi and I'm hiding, and get Hermione to meet us here."

"Wait, lie to Ron? Why?" Harry's face paled, "you don't expect him to hate me do you?"

"More be jealous and stupid as usual. Please just trust me!" Ginny was pleading with him.

What else could he do? "Alright, but I don't know how to message with my Patronus."

"You just tell it who to tell what. Once you learn silent casting you can include the instructions in the casting, but for now just tell it out loud once it's summoned. You can also tell it to lead Hermione here."

Nodding, Harry cast, "expecto patronum! Tell Ron, go fetch Ginny from the Astronomy Tower, I think she got spooked and went there to hide. Tell Hermione, I need you to follow my Patronus back to me, I found something I need your help with. Then lead her here."

The stag nodded and galloped off.

"Now we wait I guess. Care to explain now or must you wait?"

"I'd rather just tell you both at once."

Harry nodded, realizing she must be onto something he was missing, and decided to continue trusting her.

"Whoever let in those Inferi is a walking corpse..." Harry muttered, causing Ginny to emit a half giggle, half snort in response to the unintended pun.

Ginny walked around and started rubbing Harry's back; he didn't resist. They waited in silence for several minutes before Hermione Granger entered the room.

"Hey Hermione," Ginny started before noticing the woman behind her, going pale, and squeaking, "Professor McGonagall!"

"Wait, why are you here, Ginny? Harry, why would you lie?" Hermione asked.

Harry's heart sank as McGonagall took one look at Ginny's new choker and thundered, "I EXPECTED BETTER OF YOU, MR. POTTER!"

Harry dropped his wand and lifted his hands, afraid to provoke his Head of House.

"It was NOT HIS FAULT!" Ginny bellowed back while stepping in front of Harry, to everyone's shock.

Wincing, McGonagall calmed her voice before saying, "Miss Weasley, I'm not sure you understand what Mr. Potter has done t-"

Scowling, Ginny interrupted her Head of House to growl, "Well, given that I asked him to do it to protect me from Malfoy, I'd say you're mistaken; also, please remember that legally I am now bine Potter."

Professor McGonagall looked as taken aback as Hermione glanced back and forth, confused at the obvious distress.

"Okay, I'm missing something big here, what is going on?" Hermione asked.

"As I am now Harry's concubine, I have his name and have to do literally anything he says, even sex," Ginny said with a smile as if Christmas had come early.

"What?" Hermione said, shocked.

Ginny continued, "the magical component of life debts can be called in to turn the debtor into a slave. Female ones are commonly called concubines in our society, and go by 'bine' in a manner similar to wives going by 'missus.' Draco saved me from the Inferi, and given the look he gave me it didn't take a Ravenclaw to realize he intended to immediately claim me to pass around the Slytherin common room, so I hexed him to buy me some time, found Harry, and got him to claim me first as an already claimed concubine can't be claimed by a second master. After disappointing Malfoy, I then asked him to lie to get you but not Ron here so you could be warned and given a choice."

Professor McGonagall paled before gasping, "surely you don't mean...?"

"Yes I do. Hermione, we both know how jealous and petty Ron gets. Once he finds out about this, he'll want a concubine of his own, and it won't take long for him to remember the troll. You owe him, and he will call it in."

Hermione and Harry were both ashen by this point. Hermione barely managed to squeak out, "can't I just say no?"

"No, even the law will back up Ron's claim over you. If you try to run or fight, aurors will find you and hold you down for him; once your collar is on, you won't be able to resist any more," Ginny explained. Hermione was speechless.

"But Ron is why Hermione was even in the bathroom in the first place!" Harry protested.

"Magic doesn't care, Ron wasn't responsible for the troll itself so it's still valid. I'm sorry, I tried to encourage you to help Ron in the Ministry to cancel it out but it didn't work."

Eyes brightening with sudden hope, Hermione asked, "maybe I did cancel it out, third year after using the Time Turner, I howled a werewolf mating call to distract the transformed Lupin, just as he was about to attack!"

McGonagall started at the mention of the Time Turner, but didn't comment.

"I'm sorry Hermione but it wasn't sufficient personal risk. I used a spell to confirm the life debt was still standing after the Ministry."

Hermione whimpered incoherently, looking to McGonagall with desperation in her eyes.

A quick wand wave and some misty runes later, McGonagall frowned while saying, "I am so sorry, Hermione, but you owe both Potter and Weasley."

Hermione broke down, sobbing as Ginny rushed over and hugged her.

"I can't... I can't do this..." Hermione whined.

Harry was beyond disturbed, he'd never imagined her breaking down like this.

"Please Hermione, trust Harry with this. We both know he won't abuse this; even if he unintentionally said something stupid, we both know he'd apologize and make it right," Ginny whispered.

"There's no other way?" Hermione asked.

"I'm afraid that at this point, you really are faced with an unspeakable choice," Professor McGonagall confirmed. Harry wasn't sure why, but he didn't feel anything when he saw her eyes threatening tears.

Several minutes of sobbing into Ginny's shirt later, Hermione pulled herself together somewhat and wiped off her face before decisively declaring, "Harry."

"What? Why me and not Ron?" Harry asked.

"I can't stand Ron. He's a slob, he's rude, he's petty and jealous... He would abuse me. Maybe not by hitting me or calling me names, but he would never stop to think about what I wanted before ordering me to do something for him! I honestly don't know why you hang out with him. He holds you back, he's a fair weather friend... I've kept my silence so far because I didn't want to lose you over him. Please, bind me and don't share me with him, I'll beg if I have to."

Harry was shell shocked, but he knew the truth in what Hermione was saying, as much as he hated to admit it.

"...okay... I swear I'll never abuse either of you," Harry quietly promised as he forced himself out of the desk he was in, picked up his wand, and stepped in front of Hermione.

"I, Harry James Potter, hereby claim thee, Hermione Jean Granger, as my concubine, pursuant to the debt you owe me from the events of Halloween our first year involving the troll. So mote it be."

Another flash, and now Hermione had a collar.

"I'm a slave..." Hermione whispered, her tone showing plainly how surreal this seemed.

"Please Hermione, don't hate me..." Harry pleaded.

"Remember, Harry, we have to do literally anything you say. Watch your wording, you can very easily hurt us with a sarcastic comment or a figure of speech, or accidentally order us into a hell of saying the opposite of what we really feel," Ginny warned.

"Seriously?" Harry frowned, "wait, is there a way to give you infinite 'do what you want' permission that I can't mess up that easily?"

"There is, Mr. Potter. It is called an Edict. An Edict requires the assistance of another Wizard or Witch, referred to as the Edict Holder. Once set, you need the Holder's cooperation to change it, unless they die or one of you becomes a slave. These commands are often used to set special rules in case of intoxication or enchantment, or to help control the influence of casual phrases. There is no theoretical limit to what you can include, beyond how many words you can say in one stretch," McGonagall offered.

Harry blinked for a moment before asking, "would you be my Edict Holder?"

Hermione turned to Professor McGonagall, pleading with her eyes.

"I could, however I must remind you that I am old and won't last. Perhaps Mr. Longbottom could be a better long term option," McGonagall said.

"Please don't say that," Hermione pleaded, "I don't want to think about losing you..."

"Thank you," McGonagall smiled, "but I am afraid I must insist on you making a wise choice with this, Harry. Also, now I need to go explain the situation to Albus and have a married student suite prepared..."

Harry gulped, "are we going to be forced to share a bed now?"

Hermione's eyes widened and Ginny gave Harry a sultry look as she purred, "you'd have to order me to stay away from your bed tonight, Master..."

Hermione fell into a giggle fit at the look on Harry's face. Even McGonagall's cheeks colored slightly as she responded on her way out, "the married suites sport king size beds, large enough for all three of you to be comfortable. I'd advise you think hard before binding any more girls if you don't intend to snuggle at night, however..."

Suffice to say, it took everyone several seconds to process the fact that McGonagall, the most stern teacher in all of Hogwarts, had just cracked a joke; then all of them fell into stitches.

* * *

Harry was beyond nervous. He was a wreck. Ginny had sent her Patronus after Ron, summoning him. He'd be here any minute...

"Harry, calm down," Hermione said softly as she rubbed one of his shoulders, Ginny handling the other one.

"I don't want to lose him though..." Harry complained.

"I don't care what anyone says, you're more loyal than a Hufflepuff..." Ginny moaned. "Yes you might lose him, but consider this the ultimate test of his own loyalty. If he gets jealous enough to abandon you, he simply isn't a true friend."

Harry knew she was right, but didn't want to admit it.

The door opened.

"Ginny? How'd you get from the astronomy tower to here so fast?" Ron asked as he came in.

"I think you should sit down, Ronald," Hermione said.

Ron blinked in confusion as he did so, then his eyes locked onto the collars on the girls.

"Those better not be what I thin-" Ron started before Ginny cut him off.

"Malfoy saved me from the Inferi, it was this or be the whore of the Slytherin common room. Then when I realised how jealous you'd get, I got him to lie so we could give Hermione a fair choice. As you can see, she chose Harry over you."

For a moment, Ron was speechless and looked confused before comprehension seemed to dawn.

"Sorry mate, I wish there wa-" Harry tried to start.

"Bloody hell! You always get everything, don't you?! Bloody boy who-"

Ron's rant was cut short by Ginny hitting him with a Stunner.

"Maybe he'll calm down and apologize later, but for now I vote we leave him here overnight."

Harry looked torn, and Hermione took pity on him.

"After we speak to Neville, I'm sure he'd be willing to come get Ron and take him back to Gryffindor Tower. Let's leave for now and sort out our new sleeping arrangements. I, for one, am exhausted."

Harry nodded, got up, and left. Once out, he called for Dobby, who was simply too happy to show the, "great Harry Potter sir and his bini's," to their rooms.

En route, a silver tabby cat Patronus appeared and said with McGonagall's voice that she had gotten them a day to recover as best they could before dealing with Gringotts, the Ministry, and worst (at least in Harry's opinion), meeting the parents.

"Maybe later, you could offer to make Dobby and Winky into Potter El-" Ginny started.

"OH HELL NO!" Hermione shouted back, "two SLAVES are more than enough for anyo-"

"Stop shouting," Harry interrupted with a wince. He then stared in horror as she seemed to be gagging on her words.

"Before you let her speak again, let me explain something," Ginny interjected, "House Elves are biologically dependent on the magic of their bound families. Elves die within five years of going free if they aren't accepted by someone else. Is it fair? No, but is life? Look in a mirror and tell me, looking me straight in the eye, that life is fair," she finished with a hiss.

Hermione had gone silent, visibly humbled and deflated. They had arrived.

"You can speak freely, Hermione. Expecto Patronum. Neville, I need your help with something, please follow my Patronus to me. Lead him to me once he agrees," Harry said, barely less dumbstruck than Hermione.

He now took a moment to examine the room. It was about as large as the standard dorm, but the space normally taken by 5 separate beds was taken instead by one extra large bed, a sofa, chair, and coffee table in front of a lit fireplace, and a large desk with two chairs, one on either side. All three school trunks were arranged at the foot of the bed.

It was lacking any House decoration, featuring brown curtains and blankets with white wall paint and sheets; as marriage between the houses was common enough that it had been deemed best years prior not to risk discomfort or fights over something as simple as the curtain colors.

Then he noticed the shared bathroom. One toilet, one wider than average sink, one shower and a tub big enough to be shared. He quickly looked away, afraid of what Ginny might suggest if she saw him examining it. Yes he was a teenage boy and doubted very much that he could refuse the offers Ginny had insinuated already, but he wasn't sure how far he could bring himself to go knowing that one wrongly worded phrase could very well force her to do something she didn't want to do...

Harry walked over to the sofa and sat down. Ginny followed, sitting next to him before turning to put her legs in his lap, wrap her arms around his shoulders, and snuggle into his neck. She wasn't the least bit discouraged by his squeaking and stiffening response; she purred as he finally relaxed and returned her embrace.

When Hermione headed for the chair, Harry said, "I think Neville might need that. Please don't take this as an order, but between the rest of the couch, the bed, and the desk, you might want to sit somewhere else."

She nodded and headed for the bed, and Harry heard her start to unpack her trunk.

Finally, the door opened and a very confused Neville Longbottom walked in.

"Harry, what in blazes is going on? Malfoy was telling everyone that..." Neville had trailed off to stare open-mouthed at first Hermione, who was the most visible, then at Harry and Ginny, before rushing over to the chair Harry gestured to.

"We should've guessed the Ferret would spread the word," Hermione muttered as she came over and sat a couple feet away on the couch.

"B-BOTH of them?!" Neville sputtered, "how?"

"Ginny to protect her from Malfoy, Hermione because we knew Ron would get jealous, so we gave her a choice," Harry said.

"Oh boy..." Neville moaned and facepalmed before suddenly jumping up. "Why am I here?" He asked, looking worried.

"I would like you to be my Edict Keeper, Neville."

Neville blinked in surprise before responding, "are you sure, Harry?"

"Yes, Neville. Granted, I don't know exactly how it's done, but I already messed up once. What I really wish I could do was free them..."

"You can't. The magic is permanent. I'm yours till one of us dies," Ginny responded with a grin, then continued solemnly, "and if you don't keep us near, some of the purebloods out there, like Malfoy and even Ron, might think of us as unused toys, up for grabs to anyone."

"That can't be right..." Hermione whispered.

"It is. Harry, from now on you have to keep an eye on them at all times, you have to keep them near. It's best to have them play at submissiveness in public, even if in private you let them boss you around. I'd strongly suggest wording the Edict so it has no effect in public, beyond maybe them notifying someone if they think you've been drugged or something," Neville responded.

"Okay, so we have to be careful with wording, again. UGH..." Harry moaned.

Neville smiled as he asked Hermione for some parchment. After gently disentangling Ginny, Harry leaned over the table with Neville and the girls, and they finally settled on a final version of the Edict.

First, Neville touched Harry's Master Ring and Harry said, "I, Harry James Potter, hereby offer thee, Neville Longbottom, the position of my Edict Keeper."

Neville responded, "I, Neville Longbottom, hereby accept the responsibility of Edict Holder."

Lastly, Harry and Neville spoke in chorus.

"In public, you shall only disobey to alert those you trust if you believe your Master's free will to be compromised, or if to obey would require sexual activity with another. In private, and in the presence of trusted friends and noone else, you shall do what you wish, regardless of any commands made. So mote it be."

A flash of light signalled the sealing of the Edict.

"Now to test it. Hermione, drop and give me 20!" Harry said with a grin, knowing she'd understand what he meant even if the others didn't understand the Muggle reference.

She responded by flipping Harry two fingers before gathering her toiletries and locking herself in the restroom. Harry laughed as Neville and Ginny both just looked confused.

"Thanks Neville, you're a lifesaver. One last thing as you go, and I'll owe you one..."

Neville left after they told him where to find Ron, promising to make sure no lasting physical harm was done to him. Harry and Ginny then unpacked, Harry grumbling when Ginny beat him into the bathroom after Hermione got out, now wearing a grey silk nightie, with no bra, that Harry felt very uncomfortable about and kept worrying he was paying too much attention to.

Ginny, in contrast, came out in simple, red, cotton pajamas... With the front completely open.

"GINNY! For the love of Merlin, button up!" Harry cried out, remembering once seeing a cartoon character's nose bleed in response to cleavage and worrying that he might be about to see it happen in real life.

"You're no fun," Ginny teased, as she buttoned up a couple in the middle so she wasn't exposed any more.

"Ginny, please, don't give him an aneurysm," Hermione reasoned.

Harry's eye twitched slightly before he rushed past her into the bathroom.

"Party pooper," Ginny grumbled.

Once Harry got into the bathroom, he relieved himself is more ways than one before putting on his shorts and t-shirt and brushing. That done, he left to see the girls waiting in bed, with the middle space open for him.

"I'd rather be touching you then spooning her when we wake up," Hermione explained. "Nothing against her, I'm just more comfortable that way."

"Come to bed, Master," Ginny said with a major come hither look and tone.

Harry first went over to the nightstand on Hermione's side to deposit his glasses and wand for the night, deciding it better to trust her to hand them over in the morning, then felt his way to the foot of the bed before climbing up and between the vague blurs he knew were the girls.

"I need to research magical vision correction," Hermione murmured as she sat up to magic the lights out, "albeit it makes no difference if the lights are out..."

Harry briefly mused over how the nightie was invisible from behind with his glasses off, before he heard a cough from his other side and turned to see Ginny's blur had pushed down the covers, revealing that the red of her pajamas was missing, she was all flesh tones instead...

Then the lights went out. Suffice to say, that was one of the more memorable nights of Harry's life.

A/N: Why was it memorable? I'll leave that to your imagination lol


End file.
